Tonight at Hermon Brothers Field, the Mat-Su Miners begin a crucial three-game series against the first-place Peninsula Oilers of Kenai. The Miners enter winners of 4 of 5, thanks to a series with the Glacier Pilots. The Oilers come in rolling. The Oilers are 6-1 in the ABL, and defeated the Bucs in 10 innings last night in Anchorage.
The Miners last played on Saturday night, when they used a two-run 8th inning hit from Adam Martin (Fr./Western Carolina) to defeat the Glacier Pilots, 3-1. The Miners were short-handed in the game, missing three-everyday players. Dominick Francia (Fr./Louis.-Laf.) missed the game with an illness, while Jaycob Brugman (Fr./BYU) missed because of a bone bruise from being hit by a pitch the night before. Tim Zier (Fr./San Diego St.) was forced to sit after a collision he had the night before at first base sent him to the hospital. All three are expected to return for tonight's game.
The pitching for the Miners continued its outstanding start, with Jeff Gonzales (Fr./Washington) going the first 6 innings Saturday. Gonzales left with a no-decision, but only allowed one unearned run. The bullpen was again sharp, with Jacob Brewer (Fr./Ball St.), Mark Anderson (So./BYU) and Matt Applegate (Jr./Kansas State) working the final three innings, combining to allow just one hit. Anderson picked up the win, with Applegate earning his first save of the season.
The Oilers enter surging, having won four straight. Last week, the Oilers took two from the Glacier Pilots before salvaging the final three-games of their four-game series with the Fire. Entering last night, the Oilers have hit .293 as a team in ABL play. They've been led by Mike Miller (RS Jr./Cal Poly-SLO), who in 20 at-bats has ten hits and 5 RBI. The pitching has been the story however, as the Oilers staff has a collective ERA of 1.55 in the first 58 innings of ABL play. As a staff, opponents are hitting just .195 against the Oilers.
In the series-opener, the Miners are expected to hand the baseball to Steven Bruce (Fr./Oklahoma). The Flower Mound, Texas native has been the ABL's best pitcher to this point. Bruce has began his career in Alaska without allowing a run in 18 1/3 innings pitched. Bruce last pitched on June 21st, when he went seven innings, scattering five hits and striking out eight hitters.
The Miners are scheduled to play the Oilers 9 times in 2011, with five of them slated for the friendly confines of Hermon Brothers Field. Early on, the Miners and Oilers have established themselves as the potential favorites in the ABL this year. They are the only teams at this stage that hold above-.500 records in league play. The Oilers enter in first-place based on percentage points.
Tonight's Game: Miners (7-2) vs. Oilers (6-1)
First-pitch: 7:00 p.m. at Hermon Brothers Field. It's sponsored by Advanced Pain Centers of Alaska and is also kids day at the ballpark.
Media: Matt Dudas and Michael Broskowski will call the action, beginning at 6:50 p.m. with the Mat-Su Miners Pre-Game Show. Fans can listen locally on Q99.7 and worldwide on www.matsuminers.org.
Pre-Game Guest: Michael Broskowski will sit down with first-year Miners skipper Brian Yocke.
-Matt Dudas
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